How can I replace a character in a specific JSON field?

Question

If I have a file with such content:

{"id":"doi-platelemetry-doi/doiplatelemetry","name":"doi/doiplatelemetry","location":"doi/doiplatelemetry/2.0.0/doiplatelemetry:2.0.0_49","component":"doi","tag":"2.0.0_49"},{"id":"doi-maintenance-service-doi/maintenance-service","name":"doi/maintenance-service","location":"doi/1.0.0/maintenance-service:1.0.0.681","component":"doi","tag":"1.0.0.681"}

How do we replace all / with - only in the value of location field? Meaning, after the replacement, the file content should be:

{"id":"doi-platelemetry-doi/doiplatelemetry","name":"doi/doiplatelemetry","location":"doi-doiplatelemetry-2.0.0-doiplatelemetry:2.0.0_49","component":"doi","tag":"2.0.0_49"},{"id":"doi-maintenance-service-doi/maintenance-service","name":"doi/maintenance-service","location":"doi-1.0.0-maintenance-service:1.0.0.681","component":"doi","tag":"1.0.0.681"}

This can be very easily achieved using jq but I am looking for a solution that works even when tools like jq are not available.

Please do add your efforts in form of code in your question, which is highly encouraged on SO, thank you. — RavinderSingh13
– RavinderSingh13, Commented Feb 24, 2021 at 3:50
Do not try to modify JSON as if it is just a bunch of characters. JSON is a structured format, and treating it as if it's just lines of data is going to cause you sorrow. Use a tool like jq to properly manipulate JSON. — Andy Lester
– Andy Lester, Commented Feb 24, 2021 at 15:41
Yes, I could see expected output using jq. Was just thinking if we can achieve the same without extra tools. What I had pasted in the question was just a small part of the entire document thinking there must be solution without jq. On my original json document, this works perfectly fine: cat images.json | jq '.payload[].location |= "gsub("/";"-")' > images.json_modified — curious_brain
– curious_brain, Commented Feb 24, 2021 at 15:46
jq is the right tool for the job. Anything you try without jq is going to be prone to errors. — Andy Lester
– Andy Lester, Commented Feb 24, 2021 at 15:50

Raman Sailopal · Accepted Answer · 2021-02-24 15:43:21Z

1

With awk:

awk -F, 'BEGIN { RS=","} /location/ { gsub("/","-",$0) } {ORS=","}1' file > file.tmp && mv -f file.tmp file

Set the record separator to "," and then when the record contains location, using gsub to replace all "/" for "-"

edited Feb 24, 2021 at 15:43

answered Feb 24, 2021 at 9:10

Raman Sailopal

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8 Comments

curious_brain Over a year ago

This splits the records and then makes the modification. This is not making the changes to the file so that we get the final output.

Raman Sailopal Over a year ago

No worries. I've amended the solution to output to a temp file and copy the tmp file to the master.

curious_brain Over a year ago

Sorry, I should have been more explicit in my earlier comment. Redirecting to a temp file and then renaming it to original is well understood. But what goes into that temp file is not the JSON document but records splitted.

Raman Sailopal Over a year ago

Apologies. I forgot to set the output record separator. Try it now.

Raman Sailopal Over a year ago

Try the solution now.

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